Fire Location Graphics:
General Fire Location Map
Half Moon Fire Map
Triangle Fire Map

Earlier fire updates:
Tuesday, August 15, 2000
Monday, August 14, 2000
Sunday, August 13, 2000
Saturday, August 12, 2000

Fires at a Glance - Type II Team Brought In 
Wednesday, August 16, 11:00 am

Summary: A Type II Overhead Team arrived late last night to take over the fire operation management. The Special Closure Order is still in effect for the Half Moon & Triangle Lakes fire areas. Only authorized firefighting personnel are allowed into the area. Visitors are being evacuated as they are encountered. Two 20-man fire crews arrived yesterday to help on the ground with the Half Moon fire. 

Closure Map - Revised 8/14/00 at 8 am
Closure Order

Half Moon Fire (Bridger-Teton National Forest, not in Wilderness Area):
Approximately 800-1,000 acres 
25-30% contained, holding west and north ridges, northeast and east side most active now, southeast being watched.
Location: On northeast end of Half Moon Lake on both sides of Pole Creek drainage, up to the west side of Fayette Lake, below the Sweeny Creek Pack Trail.
Two-20 man fire fighting crews arrived yesterday, one from Washington and the other from Utah. Fire basecamp has been moved to Sandy Beach Day Use Area on Fremont Lake. The northeast boundary is the more active portion of the fire now, with some activity on the southeastern edge. Half Moon Lake Resort personnel continue to be extremely helpful in transporting fire fighting equipment & personnel across the lake to the fire, supplying hoseline, and packing equipment & supplies to various locations on the fire. Approximately 55 people are on the fire at present time for suppression. Two helicopters were on the fire all day, one of which let to report to another fire later in the day. There was no air tanker support yesterday. 

Triangle Fire (Within Bridger Wilderness Area, Bridger-Teton National Forest):
Approximately 200 acres
0% controlled, still burning fuels  mostly within fire area and hasn't grown much since yesterday.
Location: Between Long Lake/Upper Long Lake & Triangle Lake, approximately 2 miles east & 1 mile north of the head end of Fremont Lake.
No firefighters on this fire at the present time. Still being monitored closely via lookouts on the grounds and helicopter fly overs. The concern is to continue to watch the fire for any spotting across  the canyons. The majority of available manpower & other resources are presently on the Half Moon fire which has a higher priority. This fire has no threat to structures at this time. High potential to grow. 

A Type II Overhead Team has now taken over the operation of both the Half Moon and Triangle fires on the Pinedale Ranger District, and two 20-man crews arrived yesterday to help support the firefighting efforts. Basecamp was set up at the Sandy Beach Picnic Area on the south end of Fremont Lake. The beach area is still open to the public, but the picnic area is now closed to the public. Visitors are asked not to come up to the Sandy Beach area after 7:00 pm so that the firefighters are not disturbed and can get their rest. The Command Center is still based off a pontoon boat in the middle of Half Moon Lake. 

The Triangle has not spread out of the perimeter. Spotting across the canyons is the main concern, but so far the fire just continues to consume fuels within the area. Lookouts have been posted to  monitor the fire, and the area is flown over by helicopter as frequently as possible to check for spotting. "Triangle has remained where we wanted it to stay. We have lookouts keeping an eye on it. All it will take is erratic winds ." said Stein, Logistics & Information Officer for the fire.

The Half Moon fire moved uphill overnight, growing and spreading to the west side of Fayette Lake. Yesterday's gusting winds tested the lines with over 20 spot fires. Long range spotting continues to be a concern, and today's efforts center on keeping the fire from torching. The northeastern and southeastern edges are the primary concerns for today. The helicopter was invaluable yesterday in helping the ground crews to hold the northeastern line. 

Ground crews on the line are working shifts up to 14 hour in a day. Overhead are working up to 18 hours each day. Support personnel such as drivers work no more than 12 hour shifts. The logistics of getting everyone fed and housed in a small town like Pinedale have been incredible, but the community has rallied and are doing everything to provide what the crews and support people need. Local restaurants and motels have been fantastic in staying open late and opening earlier to accommodate the large influx of firefighting personnel. 

To date, there have not been any fire related accidents for either the Half Moon or Triangle Lakes fires. Anyone with concerns can contact the Sublette County Sheriff's office at 307-367-4376, or the Pinedale Ranger District, 307-367-4326. Hikers in the wilderness who may have cell phones and can get a signal out can call 911 and ask to be routed to the Sublette County Sheriff's office if they have concerns.

More area fire graphics:
National Interagency Fire Center Large Wildland Fire Map
National Interagency Fire Center web site (ww.nifc.gov)